Would have prepared the report before but my wife's iphone does not functional weel with this website. So here it is:
This was the "perfect" race for me, or as perfect as I have come to so far. By perfect I don't me fastest but given my fitness level the best I think I could have done. I wanted to go out relatively slow, have a negative split, and not have the wheels come off at the end. I achieved all three.
Mile 1 8:25 still dark and cold - just trying to navigate through the crowd and find a comfortable pace.
Mile 2 8:02 still cold
Mile 3 - 5 22:56 (av pace 7:30) - stopped to get water at mile 3 & 5. I made it a point to drink at every water station. Feeling good and I found my stride. Shed my lond sleeve shirt, skull cap and gloves (which I never recovered). Forget to hit the right button on my watch at each mile marker.
Mile 6 7:22 - mentally getting ready for the hill.
Mile 7 7:41
Mile 8 9:10 - here we go up the hill. Decide to take sloooow and reserve as much as I can for the second half of the race.
Mile 9 8:41 - still going up just not as steep
Mile 10 7:52 - still going up...
Mile 11 8:31 - still going up...start talking to a guy from L.A. (Steve). We end up talking for the next 11 miles
Mile 12 8:10
Mile 13 7:35
Mile 13.2 - the best that I can remember the clocl said 1:47:xx, so my chip time was probably 1:46:xx
Mile 14 8:03 - feeling good - no signs of fatigue
Mile 15 7:25 - this must have been a steep down hill (?)
Mile 16 - 17 15:01 (av 7:30) - more down hill
Mile 18 - 19 15:48 (av pave 7:54) - little up hill here with more down hill
Mile 20 8:25 - slowed down at bit...not sure why since I was still feeling good.
Mile 21 7:20 - probably a little to fast
Mile 22 8:48 - starting to feeling like my feet where made of cement
Mile 23 - 24 15:58 (av pace 7:59) - try to push to the end
Mile 25 8:32 - see the 3:30 pacer run by as I'm getting a drink of water. Oh well!
Mile 26 8:58 - felt like I was moving at a snail's pace but that was all I had
Last 0.2 - 1:54 - like banging your head on a tree trunk. It feels so good when you stop.
My wife and my two little girls (11 & 12) arrived at the finish line about 20 minutes late so I wondered around the park trying to find other FRB runners. Obviously they were all too fast and had already left.
Spend Saturday afternoon and Sunday hiking in Zion Nat'l Park with the family. My favortite national park. My legs recovered rather nicely.
Gorgeous course! My new favorite marathon. | 